Congress Casar responds to Trump Economic Chaos

Summary

The MeidasTouch Podcast: Congress Casar Responds to Trump Economic Chaos

Episode: Congress Casar Responds to Trump Economic Chaos
Release Date: April 10, 2025
Host: MeidasTouch Network (Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas)
Guests: Democratic Congressmember Greg Kassar

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Introduction

In this episode of The MeidasTouch Podcast, the Meiselas brothers delve into the tumultuous state of the U.S. economy amid alleged market manipulations linked to former President Donald Trump. They dissect the reactions from MAGA Republicans and the counterarguments from Democratic leaders, particularly focusing on Congressmember Greg Kassar’s perspectives on economic policies and political corruption.

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Market Volatility and Alleged Manipulation

[00:30] Host:
The episode kicks off with the hosts highlighting the current economic instability, likening the economy to a "freaking Trump meme coin." They express concerns over potential market manipulations orchestrated via Trump's posts.

Key Points:

• Host draws parallels between the erratic market behavior and Trump’s unpredictable social media interactions.
• Raises questions about the authenticity of economic data amidst political maneuvers.

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MAGA Republicans' Stance on the Economy

The podcast features clips from MAGA Republican figures defending the current economic condition.

[00:51] Political Analyst:
MAGA Republicans view the economy positively, even when it resembles volatile "dollar sign Trump or the dollar sign Melania meme coin."

[02:37] Stock Market Expert:
Reports Trump allegedly earning substantial sums ("two and a half billion today and he made 900 million"), suggesting significant financial gains amidst the market turmoil.

[02:51] Congressmember Burgess Owens:
Expresses enthusiasm over Trump's economic strategies, praising him as "the greatest entrepreneur" and commending his approach to rewarding "good behavior" among trading nations.

Notable Quote:
Burgess Owens:
"We have an absolute genius of an entrepreneur... making sure that we're going to be end of the day in a much better position."
[02:51]

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Democratic Critique and Concerns Over Corruption

In contrast, Democratic Congressmember Greg Kassar offers a scathing critique of the Republican approach to economic policies.

[03:32] Greg Kassar:

• Corruption Accusations: Accuses Republicans of fostering a "culture of corruption," involving insider trading and nepotism.
• Economic Policies: Criticizes tax cuts favoring billionaires, increased costs of everyday goods, and threats to social programs like Social Security and healthcare.
• Call to Action: Emphasizes the need for the Democratic Party to reject corporate greed and prioritize the working class.

Notable Quote:
"They believe that you pay taxes in order to make them and their friends rich... this is all about basically taking your hard-earned money and giving it to themselves or funneling it to their buddies."
[05:27]

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Initiatives to Combat Corruption: The Elon Musk Case

Greg Kassar introduces a key initiative aimed at addressing corruption within the government.

[07:19] Host:
Mentions Kassar's campaign to remove Elon Musk from his federal government position by May 30th, citing legal obligations.

[07:54] Greg Kassar:

• Legal Framework: Explains that under the "special government employee status," Musk is required by law to be fired within 50 days.
• Allegations Against Musk: Claims Musk has been exploiting this status to funnel $8 million daily in federal contracts to himself and his companies.
• Mobilization Efforts: Highlights the bipartisan letter from over 75 Democrats urging Trump's compliance with the law.

Notable Quote:
"Donald Trump has to fire Elon Musk. Otherwise, he's breaking another anti-corruption law and we just can't stand for it."
[07:54]

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Grassroots Campaigning and Voter Engagement

Kassar discusses his strategies to engage voters across diverse districts, especially targeting those disenchanted with current Republican leadership.

[09:19] Greg Kassar:

• Message Consistency: Advocates for a unified Democratic message focused on supporting working people and opposing billionaire dominance in politics.
• Outreach Efforts: Describes efforts to connect with independent, Republican, and disaffected voters by emphasizing shared values such as fair taxation and economic equity.
• Future Campaigns: Plans to campaign in Republican strongholds, stressing the importance of inclusive politics that transcend partisan divides.

Notable Quote:
"You should work hard to be able to pay for the everyday things in your life... that the richest man on earth should not be coming after veterans, should not be coming after Social Security, should not be coming after your health care just to make himself more rich."
[09:19]

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Conclusion and Forward Look

The episode wraps up with a strong call to Democratic voters to unify against economic policies perceived as favoring the wealthy elite. The Meiselas brothers emphasize the importance of political activism and supporting leaders like Greg Kassar who advocate for systemic change.

[11:45] Host:
Thanks Greg Kassar for his insights and participation, encouraging listeners to stay informed and engaged.

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Key Takeaways

• Economic Instability: The current U.S. economy is under scrutiny for potential manipulation linked to Trump’s actions.
• Polarized Reactions: MAGA Republicans defend the economic state, attributing successes to Trump’s strategies, while Democrats accuse them of corruption and policies that favor billionaires at the expense of the working class.
• Combatting Corruption: Initiatives like the push to remove Elon Musk highlight Democratic efforts to enforce accountability and reduce corruption within the government.
• Voter Engagement: Emphasizes the need for a cohesive Democratic message that resonates across various voter demographics, aiming to reclaim lost ground from Republican narratives.

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Notable Quotes Recap:

• Burgess Owens:
  "We have an absolute genius of an entrepreneur... making sure that we're going to be end of the day in a much better position."
  [02:51]

• Greg Kassar:
  "They believe that you pay taxes in order to make them and their friends rich... this is all about basically taking your hard-earned money and giving it to themselves or funneling it to their buddies."
  [05:27]

• Greg Kassar:
  "Donald Trump has to fire Elon Musk. Otherwise, he's breaking another anti-corruption law and we just can't stand for it."
  [07:54]

• Greg Kassar:
  "You should work hard to be able to pay for the everyday things in your life... that the richest man on earth should not be coming after veterans, should not be coming after Social Security, should not be coming after your health care just to make himself more rich."
  [09:19]

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This detailed exploration provides listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the current economic debates, the political maneuvering surrounding them, and the strategies employed by both MAGA Republicans and Democrats in shaping the future of the U.S. economy.

Transcript

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[Host]

Another volatile and disastrous day in the markets, at least as of this recording right now, who knows if Donald Trump's going to make another post saying bye, bye, bye to potentially manipulate the markets again. But this is where we're at right now. Our economy looks like a freaking Trump meme coin right now. And what are the MAGA Republicans saying about this?

[Political Analyst]

Oh, they think it's absolutely great. They love the American economy looking like the dollar sign Trump or the dollar sign Melania meme coin. Here's MAGA Republican Congress member Carlos Jimenez. Here's what he's got to say. He goes, no manipulation. I was sitting with a stockbroker and we this is cool because I'm sitting with a stock broker. Apparently that means no market manipulation.

[Host]

Here, play this clip.

[Political Commentator]

President put out a post on True Social at, what was it, 9:18am 9:37am I should say, where he said, this is a great time to buy. And then of course, after 1pm he announced the pause or the blinking on some of the tariffs there. Do you have any questions about the timing there? Was he telling people, was he tipping people off? Was it market manipulation?

[Stockbroker]

No, actually, we had lunch with a major stockbroker, you know, from New York, and we were talking to him about this tariffs and all that. And then one of the things he said was, it's time to buy. And he had no idea what was going to happen later. I mean, look, you buy when the market is low and the market.

[Host]

I guess that solves the issue. I guess. I mean, you're literally Congress. I mean, you're supposed to do oversight. I mean, no, I don't know, maybe you want to look at the markets and see the unusual trading activity right before Donald Trump even made that post. And then right after. And then Donald Trump had billionaires in the Oval Office and they were all bragging about how rich they were getting and everyone's got billions of dollars. I think we have the video of Trump literally with people in the Oval Office saying everyone's getting rich.

[Political Analyst]

You were 2 5.5.

[Host]

You made 900 million. Here, play this clip.

[Stock Market Expert]

He made two and a half billion today and he made 900 million.

[Host]

One more clip I'll share with you. MAGA Republican Congressmember Burgess Owens saying this is amazing. They've got the greatest entrepreneur as the captain of America here. Play this clip.

[MAGA Republican Congressmember]

Well, I'll say this, I think America needs to recognize we're in a remarkable moment. We have an absolute genius of an entrepreneur, number one and one that loves our country and making sure that we're going to be end of the day in a much better position. So I'm excited seeing what's happening and I love also that he's showing what it is to reward good behavior, which all those, all those countries decided when it could at least have a conversation. That's good behavior. Those who decide to retaliate on us, then they're cut out of this whole process. So I'm excited about what's happening right.

[Host]

Now and then just I'm excited about what's happening now. Remarkable time. Let's bring in Democratic Congressmember from Texas, Greg Kassar. Congressmember. Remarkable. Remarkable times we're living in, huh?

[Greg Kassar]

It's just remarkable how much a culture of corruption has completely infected and taken over the entire Republican Party. Look, this is all part of the same story. They crash the market and then open it up to insider trading so that, I don't know, members of Congress, K Street lobbyists, the billionaire donor buddies of Donald Trump can cash in after everybody's retirement accounts got screwed over. They put out these sorts of crazy blanket tariff proposals and then you've got the president's son out there basically saying I'm here ready to accept bribes or a deal from foreign leaders and foreign oligarchs. They are same thing with the whole Doge scam. They are threatening your Social Security and your health care all in order to pay for billionaire tax cuts. So at the end of the day, this is all about basically taking your hard earned money and giving it to themselves or funneling it to their buddies. That's all this is about.

[Host]

While that market manipulation appear to be going on, while the markets, as of this recording, as I said at the beginning, it's tanking right now. But it trades like a Trump meme coin. Is he going to do a post another pump and dump? Like what the heck is going down? All of this is going on. The priorities of the MAGA Republicans in the House and Senate was to put forward this budget to take the Senate's budget plan, which Looked nothing like the House's plan, but then pretend that they were somehow similar and pass it. I guess the only area where they were similar was figuring out how to give the most tax cuts for the billionaires. I think they had disagreements and how to conceal it. Like the formula from the Senate looked different than the formula for concealment of the House. But, but, but talk, talk to us about what, what, what this is and what's going on.

[Greg Kassar]

What they have spent the last couple of days fighting about on the Republican side is how much to destroy your health care to pay for billionaire tax cuts, how much to destroy Social Security and the Veterans Administration in order to pay for billionaire tax cuts There. One area of agreement like you mentioned is to give billionaires and the biggest corporations a tax cut. So the summary of the Trump administration so far is that they are jacking up your prices at the grocery store, they're jacking up the prices of cars, jacking up prices across the board in order to pay for billionaire tax cuts. They are stripping your services in order to pay for billionaire tax cuts. And they want as many of your taxpayer dollars to go to billionaire tax cuts. And then they throw in a little bit of variety with things like the bill they packaged in with the budget yesterday to say, oh, and we want your overdraft fees to go up if you just happen to go pay a few dollars too much for something at the bank. We want the banks to take more of your money. So they, they throw in a few other ways to make things cost more. But at the end of the day, they believe that you pay taxes in order to make them and their friends rich. And they believe you need to work longer hours for less pay to make them and their friends rich. And maybe they could do a little bit of insider stock trading on the side. Look, at the end of the day, I think this is an opening and an opportunity in the darkest hour for Democrats to again become the party of the everyday working person to put at the top of our agenda getting big money out of politics, getting billionaires out of running our government, banning congressional stock trading and say, look, we've got to get rid of this unholy alliance between corrupt government and corporate greed, break that tie for good. And I think that is what can rebuild the Democratic Party at this moment and sweep us into office in the upcoming elections.

[Host]

You're one of the people leading the campaign to get make sure Elon Musk is done on May 30th. You posted by law Elon Musk must be removed by May 30th tonight, House Democrats send Trump a clear message. The clock is ticking. The law is clear that people are watching. Fire Elon Musk. Tell us about that deadline and what you're doing to try to get that done. I heard he was. I heard Doge was at fdic, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation today, where people depend on that, especially in times of this market manipulation.

[Greg Kassar]

The biggest news that people at home need to know that maybe they haven't heard is that under the law, Donald Trump must fire Elon Musk within the next 50 days. There is this part of the law called special government employee status. And Musk has been exploiting that loophole in the law in order to continue to funnel $8 million a day in federal government contracts to himself and to his companies while screwing everybody over. Well, the clock is ticking, and I just wrote a letter alongside over 75 other Democrats making it clear to Donald Trump that his days are just running out as a federal government employee. The gravy train is coming to a stop. And over the next 50 days, we need the entire country to make some noise and say that in 50 days, Donald Trump has to fire Elon Musk. Otherwise, he's breaking another anti corruption law and we just can't stand for it.

[Host]

I know you've been speaking in red districts, purple districts, where MAGA Republican Congress members have been too cowardly to hold old town halls. You were on the tour with Bernie and aoc. Talk to us a little bit about what you've been seeing, what you've been hearing. You were at the big hands off protests. I saw your speeches. You know you're there as well. You feeling a vibe shift even from when you and I spoke two weeks.

[Greg Kassar]

Ago, the pushback against what the Trump Musk administration is doing. It's here. There was a little while right after Trump's election where he said, we didn't know if that movement would come. Well, that movement is here and it wants a Democratic Party that is going to stand for working people no matter what, period. Stop. End of the day, we've got to take this moment to be the pro working people, anti billionaire party. And that is what I'm hearing all across the country. This message that I'm having here on Midas Touch is the exact same message I used on Fox News Live the other weekend. The exact same message I used on Univision in Spanish the next day. The exact same message that I bring into Democratic districts, Republican districts and purple districts. It's the kind of message that makes sense to the vast majority of the American people, which is you should work hard to be able to pay for the everyday things in your life, save a little bit of money and make sure that your kids can have a better life than you've got and be able to have a comfortable retirement. You shouldn't have to work and pay taxes in order to have a billionaire buy puppet politicians and make himself rich. That's wrong. And the core Democratic message, I think that brings so many of us together and brings back those voters that we lost to Donald Trump.

[Host]

Did they invite you back on Fox? I did a whole segment, you may have seen it, where I showcased. I mean, you were on Fox. You don't need to watch my segment, watching yourself on Fox. But I did a whole segment of you on Fox. Did they invite you back after that?

[Greg Kassar]

I have told them I'm open and ready to come on any given day. So I'm waiting for the invitation back. But in the meantime, I'm actually going to a Republican district that we just lost in Colorado. We had a great Democrat in that seat and we lost it here when Donald Trump won the presidency. I'm headed to that Republican area outside of Texas. I've been doing this in Texas. I'm headed across the country to go speak to those independent and Republican and disaffected voters and let them know that we can be the kind of party that includes them. Because I believe that we may disagree on this social issue or that one, but at the end of the day, we should all be able to agree that the richest man on earth should not be coming after veterans, should not be coming after Social Security, should not be coming after your health care just to make himself more rich. So I appreciate you having me on and we're going to keep up the message.

[Host]

Democratic Congressman Greg Kassar, thanks for being on.

[Greg Kassar]

Thank you.

[Host]

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